New Scotland manager Gordon Strachan (right) chose to bring in Mark McGhee as his assistant coach of the national team

When Gordon Strachan was announced as the new Scotland manager on January 15, 2013, with his appointment also came immediate pondering from the Tartan Army on who would be the first to join his backroom staff. Would it be Garry Pendrey, the Birmingham City legend who assisted Strachan at Coventry, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough? Or perhaps Gary McAllister, the Scotland legend who enjoyed an illustrious playing career and has been linked with the main national job on numerous occasions. In the end, it was neither, and wee Gordon chose to bring in another long-time friend— Mark McGhee.

Jackie McNamara unveiled as the new Dundee United manager at Tannadice

As Scottish football brought in what is hoped to be another prosperous new year in 2013, Jackie McNamara would have found himself sitting with a similar heir of optimism. At the start of January, McNamara’s Partick Thistle side sat at the top of Scottish Football League Division 1, looking odds on to gain promotion back to the SPL for the first time in 10 years. Thistle were scoring goals for fun under McNamara, in his first senior job in management, preaching an openly attractive attacking style of play. Indeed all things seemed rosy enough that on December 18, 2012, the former Celtic and Scotland star was given an early Christmas present with an improved contract deal offered to him by Thistle chairman David Beattie. However, at times in life, you have to seize the moment, and McNamara may well have done that just as the end of 2013’s first month was concluded.